Trouble Shooting

We may have worked our way through failure modes and causes but we cannot resolve all the issues simply through our own initiative by ourselves. We need to turn our attention to the design and implementation of an effective troubleshooting plan, with appropriate resources, using the following structural elements.

Plan Overview

• Understanding
  • We need to recruit an experienced or train a new resource to build up the RCA knowledge base
• RCA and The Organisation
  • We need to gain acceptance for the application of RCA into our organization
• Trained Resource Team
  • We need a dedicated trained team of operators
• Trouble Shooting Team
  • We need to set up and train a team of troubleshooting experts, so we have the expertise on hand and are available to respond where and when necessary
• Documentation
  • We need a good reliable and up to date documentation base
• Identify Triggers
  • Triggers need to be identified and set up to activate the troubleshooting team when issues arise
• Kick-off RCA Analysis
  • The actual plan needs to be implemented
• Implementation
  • Any implemented system needs to be followed up to ensure the plan is functional and effectively working

Detailed Plan

• Understanding

Troubleshooting has to be the first step in the equipment repair process. We cannot implement any initiative without knowledge, so we need a skilled trained resource to introduce the RCA Project. If no resource is available, then that resource needs to be identified, commissioned, and sent for relevant training.

To confirm what we discussed previously, any RCA initiative or action has to build on a solid foundation established by the correct and appropriate asset management system. If a breakdown is for a familiar piece of equipment, then the problem may be solved and rectified quickly but if the equipment or events are unfamiliar, then the process may well be a lengthy one. The actual root cause may be buried deep in the equipment’s systems and the solution may also be a lengthy and frustrating process.

No matter what the situation, equipment breakdowns can happen at any time in any organization. If our plan is well prepared and the correct Preventative Maintenance system is in place, then the troubleshooting plan will prove to be very effective.

• RCA and The Organisation

The activating of an RCA troubleshooting plan is a large project, which will require resourcing and will therefore need the required approval from the organization and the relevant management levels. It may well be advisable to set up an introductory meeting and presentation to explain the virtues and advantages of implementing a troubleshooting plan. This meeting should include all interested and involved parties from operators to supervisors and more senior maintenance and management representatives.

• Trained Resource Team

Training is vital in the application of any new process. We cannot successfully introduce RCA if we do not have a variety of well-trained operational resources available and ready.

• Trouble Shooting Team

There are a number of main attributes that need to be identified and set up for the troubleshooting process to be effective.

Trouble Shooting Goals

Troubleshooting is a method of finding the cause of a problem and correcting it and the ultimate goal of troubleshooting is to get the equipment back into service as quickly and as fully as possible. Time is of the essence because the entire operation depends on the trouble shooter’s ability to solve the problem efficiently and economically.

This emphasizes the need for a good professional training course for all team members to attend and successfully prove their efficiency. Often we may find that the most effective troubleshooters on most job sites are the technicians.

Trouble Shooting Process

Training needs to be focused on the troubleshooting process which begins with symptom recognition. This involves the equipment operator, the equipment indicators, the controls, and the technical documentation about the equipment and its systems. Team members need to understand how to identify and analyze the relevant information.

Contacting the equipment operator should be the first action taken as they’re usually the most familiar with the equipment and can supply the primary details about the breakdown circumstances.

Trouble Shooting Information Seeking

To obtain the most information, the troubleshooter needs to have a variety of questions that should be asked, such as:

• What are the operator’s indications of the trouble?
• How did the operator discover the trouble?
• What were the conditions at the time the trouble occurred?
• Is the trouble constant or intermittent?

Following the information received from the questions, the troubleshooter should observe the equipment or system to get a first-hand impression of what’s wrong. During this process, the troubleshooter should:

• Note all abnormal symptom
• Evaluate what’s observed
• Examine the equipment’s log or other relevant documentation

Working with the operator to determine exactly what the problem is will lead to isolating the cause.

Trouble Shooting Skills

The troubleshooting process relies heavily on the trouble shooter’s technical skills, experience, and intuition. The troubleshooter is responsible for narrowing down the root cause of the problem, which is done using testing equipment and reading the equipment’s instruments. Disassembly may be required if nothing results from making any adjustments to the equipment’s components. The process will also involve mental activities such as logic, reasoning, and evaluation.

Trouble Shooting Specialised Knowledge

The trouble shooter’s specialized knowledge plays a key part in the isolation process, and they must follow a safe and effective procedure.

Troubleshooters isolate causes by:

• Looking at low maintenance items first and examining all convenient possibilities to save time
• Familiarizing themselves with any specific modes that could help in troubleshooting such as built-in self-test and diagnostics
• Complying with all field safety protocols
• Make sure systems are de-energized and off-line before dismantling
• Identifying obvious items but also being aware of those that are hidden

• Documentation

To be an effective part of the RCA process it is imperative that machine operation and maintenance manuals are kept up to date and are in an easily accessible place. In the middle of a crisis, there is no time to think and every available piece of information must be at hand.

Failure analysis capability must be encouraged for maintenance staff with priority on the most relevant issues and this procedure needs to be systematically applied.

Almost all pieces of machinery have operation manuals and/or equipment logs and many have troubleshooting checklists and guidelines. This should always be a main source of information for the troubleshooter and can help to eliminate much of the ‘educated guesswork’ that’s used in eliminating issues and drilling down to the cause of the problem. Once the cause is isolated to a specific component, the equipment repair can take place.

This procedure can also be used to generate benefits for workers with diverse functions and experiences.

• Identify Triggers        

RCA is a problem-solving method that consists of investigating an incident or failure.

It is not possible to address every situation, so a trigger for action is necessary. Predefined parameters must be agreed upon to ‘Trigger’ the root cause analysis technique. Triggers will vary over time and also between industries.

RCA triggers can be used for:

• Unexpected event causing injury or death
• The unacceptable risk of repeated failure
• Machinery stops for set time and cost

• Kick-Off RCA Analysis

Just to emphasize that we cannot just take off with an RCA process. It needs careful planning, training, and implementation for the right resources to be in place and effective.

• Implementation

Implement the troubleshooting plan and monitor the kick-off to eliminate any unforeseen stumbling blocks, then monitor progress in an ongoing capacity for continually improving the plan and the process.

The effectiveness of any intervention needs to be verified and we need to recognize that failures have varying causes. Many causes can be detected by routine inspections or through the application of specific techniques. Each industry and organization will have its own approach to machinery maintenance. Some will be content with running to failure, which in their environment may be perfectly appropriate. Others will be running an effective proactive maintenance system.

Hopefully, all will have adopted a process of ‘Best Practices, which is the subject of our next eBook.   

The troubleshooting process doesn’t need to be complicated. If a logical step-by-step process is followed that it will be specific to the problem at hand.

For more information email us at info@strobe-al.co.za or visit www.strobe-al.co.za